Upright bicycle and treadmill stress echocardiography techniques and technical hints for the sonographer

Stress echocardiography is an extremely valuable diagnostic tool that has gained widespread acceptance and popularity. The methods described here are by no means the only way to carry out stress echocardiography. The intent of this paper is to describe the way we accomplish stress echocardiography at Indiana University. Our methods have worked quite well and to date, and we do not plan to significantly change our protocols. One should not be discouraged when first learning how to perform stress echocardiography. Do not expect that stress echo will be easy to master. As with other echocardiographic modalities, a learning curve exists for the sonographer as well as for the interpreting physician; however, with practice, stress echocardiography will become another invaluable examination in your echocardiographic repertoire.